Local riders start show jumping season

(CIEF): The Cayman Islands Equestrian Federation launched its National Jumping Series for 2015 last week. Isabelle Smith on Edson Arantes MB was the only competitor to take on the 1.1m and 1.2m jumps going clear for first place in the 1.1m class and finishing on twelve faults in the 1.2m class. Pheobe Serpell executed a clear round on Sunday’s Edition to take first place in the 1m open class with Amara Thompson on Rumour Has It in second place with 12 faults. In the open class for adults and juniors at 0.85m several riders fought it out with Jenna Boucher on Katrina taking first place with zero faults.

Also clear was Serpell on Sunday’s Edition in second place. Meanwhile Thompson took third, with four faults, on her own horse, Rumour Has It, and Fowler followed suit with four faults to come fourth on Shirley. Rounding it out was Michelle Boucher on Filipio H with eight faults.

The fences had started at 0.6m and over the course of the day doubled to 1.2m, a new class added for 2015. The CIEF said the lower classes “were encouragingly competitive” with new riders Abbey Swartz and Laney Bodden joining the series for the first time.

In the 0.6m junior class, Chloe Fowler, rode Eva Muspratt’s pony, Oscar, to a clear round and took first place with Basil Humphries on Storm in second, with a cleanly executed clear round. Abbey Swartz was clear on Zeus for her first round of the series  taking third place. Ashley van den Bol on Pony Up and Lea Rado on Never Ending Story both collected four faults with a knock down placing them fourth and fifth, with Laney Bodden and Star in sixth with 5 faults.

At the lower levels, the adults and juniors compete separately and in the 0.6m adult class Amara Thompson was the sole competitor and introduced newcomer Cayman horse, Teddy, to the Series, with a clear round to take first place.  The 0.7m junior class, there was as much competition for riders as in the 0.6m class. Jenna Boucher was last to go with a clear round taking first place with the fastest time of the day.  Three other riders went clear. In second was Rado on Never Ending Story, third was Fowler, this time on her own horse Shirley, and fourth was Humphries on Storm. Bodden on Star and van den Bol on Amarilla took fourth and fifth, respectively, with four faults each.

In the adult 0.7m class, all four riders went clear, leaving it down to the clock to separate the placings. In first place was Juliette Forrester on Apollo, second was Amara Thompson on Teddy, third was Tanja Braendle on Harry and fourth was Michelle Boucher with newcomer to the Series, Filipio H.

CIEF also hosted cross rails classes for beginners to get their first taste of competition.

The second round of the National Jumping Series is on 1 February and will follow a week of intense jump coaching for members of CIEF, when UK show jumping coach, Corinne Bracken, visits Cayman to help riders develop their jumping skills.